Aftermath
by Pothangfanfic
Summary: UPDATED: ADDED A 2ND CHAPTER Lassiter's shot and Vick tries to figure out what happened. Thanks for Loafer for the quick beta. Any mistakes are mine. Disclaimer: I don't own anything. Psych belongs to Steve Franks, USA Network, and anyone else who owns it. Lassiter/O'Hara friendship, Shawn/Juliet (very background)
1. Chapter 1 - Aftermath

Karen Vick resisted the urge to lean her head back against her chair. Lassiter had been shot during a stakeout three days earlier. Thankfully, the shoulder wound wasn't serious and hadn't required more than an overnight observation stay at the hospital.

Because circumstances of that shooting were fishy, to say the least, she decided to have a meeting with all of the interested parties in order to figure out what the hell happened. It was 9:00 a.m. and she could feel the beginning of a massive headache just behind her eyes. The cause of said headache sat across from her.

Carlton Lassiter, Juliet O'Hara, Shawn Spencer, and Burton Guster were all waiting patiently for this early morning meeting to start. Well, Lassiter, O'Hara, and Guster were waiting patiently. Spencer's foot was doing a spectacular tap dance on her floor, he couldn't seem to keep his hands still, and he looked more awake than anyone else in the room. This was a telling sign for Vick because Spencer was not what one would call a morning person by any stretch of the imagination.

She took a deep breath. "Would anyone like to explain to me how my chief detective ended up with a bullet hole in his shoulder while on stakeout?" She gave them a hard look. "A stakeout, I might add, that was supposed to be an easy assignment?"

"Chief," Juliet began.

"It's like this, Chief Vick," Shawn steamrolled right over her. "I found a new place, Tony's Tornado Tacos Heaven, and I thought Jules would be hungry so I decided to bring her something." He grinned at his girlfriend. "Oh, and I found a sweet smoothie place on my way over and grabbed a couple of pineapple smoothies too."

"While that explains your presence, Mr. Spencer," Vick cut in smoothly, "it doesn't explain how Detective Lassiter was shot." She gave Shawn another hard look. "Although, we will need to discuss how you knew about the stakeout at a later time."

Shawn's grin dimmed a bit, but he plowed on. "It's like this," he repeated.

Vick held up her hand. "It's _not_ like this, Mr. Spencer. I want to know why one of my officers was wounded and your dietary habits are not getting me that answer, so I would suggest you allow someone else to speak."

Shawn shut up and Vick looked at the wounded officer in question. "Carlton, would _you_ like to tell me how you ended up with a bullet hole in your shoulder?"

Lassiter shrugged and then winced. "Perp came out of the warehouse and spotted us." He looked Vick in the eyes. "He was faster on the draw."

Vick's return look was steady and calling bullshit without saying a word. Instead of continuing with Lassiter, she turned her attention to his partner. "O'Hara, do you concur? Was the suspect just 'faster on the draw'?"

"I told you what happened, Karen." Lassiter spoke before Juliet could. "O'Hara was on the other side of the car. She didn't see what happened."

"That's one of my problems with this situation, Carlton," Vick said. "What was Detective O'Hara doing instead of backing up her partner in a potentially life-threatening situation?" She pointed a finger at Shawn as he opened his mouth. "Mr. Spencer, I warn you, if you interrupt one more time, I have a cell with your name on it."

Shawn's mouth snapped shut with an audible click, but he just couldn't help himself. "On what charge?"

Vick slowly stood and leaned far enough over her desk to make Shawn shrink back in his chair. "I'm the chief of police, Mr. Spencer; I'm sure I can think of something." She straightened and, with a sigh, walked to her door, opened it, and called for Henry Spencer.

Henry left his desk and walked to her office. "What can I do for you, Karen?"

She pointed at Shawn. "Take your son home before I throw him in jail on general principle."

Shawn started to protest, but Henry grabbed him by his arm and hauled him out of his chair, while looking in Gus's direction and jerking his head toward the door. "Come on boys, let's not test the Chief's patience today." Gus nodded gratefully and headed out behind the two Spencer men.

Vick could hear Shawn protesting through the bullpen before she turned back to Lassiter and Juliet. "Detective Lassiter, you've been put on medical leave for the next two weeks. I don't want to see your face in this station until you've been cleared for duty." She watched as he began to protest.

"Carlton, if you try me, I'm sure I can convince the doctor to make it an even month." Lassiter shut his mouth with a mutinous glare. "Good to see we understand one another." She gestured to the door. "You're dismissed."

He walked to the door and paused to wait for Juliet.

Vick shook her head. "No, Detective O'Hara and I have things to discuss." She watched Lassiter's eyes narrow suspiciously. "Remember, if I hear you've so much as called here, I'll make sure I don't see you for a month." She nodded in dismissal and Lassiter had no choice but to leave. "Close the door on your way out." If the door was closed a little more forcefully than warranted, she let it slide.

She sat down behind her desk and looked at her junior detective. "So, O'Hara, what am I going to do about you?"

"Ma'am?"

Vick could see the nerves Juliet had managed to hide up until now rush to the surface. "Well, I've gotten Mr. Spencer's side of the story, such as it is, and I've gotten Detective Lassiter's side. But I haven't heard anything from you yet." She waited for a moment, but the woman sitting across from her said nothing. "Your silence is very telling. You do know that?"

"I don't know what you want me to say, ma'am," Juliet said softly.

Vick sighed and leaned forward. "I would like you to tell me exactly what happened. What's not in the official report Detective Lassiter filed this morning." She shook her head and leaned back. "You know, I'm a halfway decent cop. I didn't get this job just because of my sparkling personality and stellar wit." She waved away Juliet's half-hearted protests. "I know something happened at that warehouse before Detective Lassiter was shot." She held up her hand to stop Juliet's interruption. "I also know that, if things were true to form, Mr. Spencer factored heavily into it."

Vick stood and walked around her desk and propped a hip against it. "I won't push for answers I'm sure would force me to take disciplinary action against you, Detective O'Hara. Carlton has made it abundantly clear he's willing to take all the blame for the mess and it would only cost _him_ more if I pushed, officially, for answers." She watched relief enter Juliet's eyes and shook her head. "But that doesn't mean I'm going to just let this go."

She stood and looked down at Juliet. "I've buried good men, Detective. Men who died because there was no other choice and they swore to serve and protect." Her spine stiffened. "But I refuse to bury one of the finest cops I've ever known because, and let me be blunt here, his partner couldn't get her shit together." She waited for Juliet to protest, but was surprised to hear none. "I don't know what's going on in your relationship with Mr. Spencer and, in a perfect world, I wouldn't want to know. But I've got a very strong, cop's-gut-feeling, that Spencer's presence is at the root of the FUBAR mess we find ourselves in." She shook her head again. "This also means that the warning I gave you several months ago—you remember the one, don't you?" She cocked her head in question. "The warning I issued that said your relationship with Shawn Spencer would cost you if you weren't careful?"

Juliet nodded her head, misery apparent in the small movement.

Vick took a deep breath. "Well, apparently, our discussion didn't make a strong enough impact, so I'm going to try something else." She looked at one of her most promising detectives and hoped what she did next would get through. "You're suspended for two weeks, effective immediately." She turned, walked back around her desk, and continued speaking as she sat down. "Leave your gun and badge on my desk." She raised her eyes to see Juliet look as though her entire world had crashed around her.

"Chief, please, don't," Juliet pleaded.

"I'm sorry, O'Hara, but you leave me no choice." Vick said. "You were dangerously inattentive to your job and that inattention could have gotten your partner killed." She resisted the urge to press her fingers to her temple. The headache threatening just a few minutes before was a full-fledged jackhammer now. "I suggest you use the next two weeks to figure out what you want in your life. If you want your career, you better start creating boundaries that protect that career." Vick gave in and leaned her head back against her chair, her eyes never leaving the woman across from her. "I told you once before, and I will tell you again, Mr. Spencer will cost you your job, your partnership, and your career if you're not very careful. I, however, will not allow him to get one of the officers under my command killed in the process." She gave Juliet a slightly disappointed look. "Figure out what you want, Detective O'Hara. Figure it out, before I figure it out for you. Dismissed."

Juliet stood on shaky legs and walked out of Vick's office. She managed to make it to the ladies room before leaning against the wall for support. Tears pricked her eyes as she realized she was on the edge of losing everything she'd worked for. Everything that meant anything to her.

She took a deep breath. She wasn't sure what to do now, but it looked like she had two weeks to decide.

To Be Continued


	2. Chapter 2 - What Happens Next

Chapter 2: What Happens Next

* * *

Juliet tossed her keys on the hall table and walked into her living room. She slid down the wall with a small sob. She wasn't sure why, or who, she was crying for, but she was pretty sure her life had hit a major road block and it wasn't just because of the suspension.

She knew she deserved more than just a suspension, but Carlton was protecting her, like always. He would tolerate the whispers that he was a hothead who charged in without thinking to keep her career from going down in flames.

And for what? For a relationship with Shawn that she wasn't even sure she wanted anymore? It wasn't that she didn't love Shawn; she did. But the stakeout fiasco showed her that he wasn't going to grow up any time soon and she was tired of waiting.

She also wasn't sure what she was going to do about Carlton. She knew he wouldn't have protected anyone else the way he'd protected her and that made her want to hug him and slap him at the same time. His friendship meant the world to her because she'd never had a friendship as strong as the one she had with him. But, if she were honest, she had wondered for years if there could be something more. She shook her head. That path led to career suicide too, so probably not.

But regardless of the two men in her life, she had to figure out where she stood on everything because the meeting in Vick's office showed her one thing. The chief wasn't going to allow Carlton to protect her anymore. One more mistake like the last one and Juliet wouldn't have a badge or a career to worry about; at least not one she wanted.

The doorbell pulled her out of her thoughts and off the floor. She looked out her peep hole and was surprised to see who was there.

"Henry?" she said as she opened the door.

Henry Spencer looked uncomfortable as she opened the door wider. "May I come in?" Juliet nodded and stepped to the side to let him walk past.

He looked around. "You've got a nice place here." Juliet remembered he hadn't been to her place. Every time she suggested to Shawn that they have a family dinner on a Sunday and invite his father, he either looked at her like she was crazy or changed the subject.

She led Henry into the living room. "Would you like something to drink? I've got water, tea, or I can make coffee."

He nodded. "Water would be great." She saw him sit down on the sofa as she went into the kitchen. She brought back a glass of water for him and an iced tea for herself. She sat down in the chair opposite him and waited.

Henry shifted the glass from hand to hand for a few moments before setting it on the coffee table. "Juliet, what happened the night Lassiter was shot?"

Juliet had not been expecting that question. She wasn't sure what she _was_ expecting, but that wasn't it. She opened her mouth, but Henry spoke before she could. "If you're just going to repeat Lassiter, don't bother." Her mouth snapped shut and he stood and began to pace. "I know that's not the truth. Or," he stopped and looked at her, "not the whole truth."

She pondered how to answer his question as a part of her minded noted that Henry and Shawn both couldn't keep still when they were nervous, excited, or upset. She wondered how either man would handle having it pointed out how much they were alike.

He sat back down on the couch with a sigh. "Juliet, I know Shawn. He and I are like oil and water most of the time, but I know him." He leaned toward her. "When I hauled him back to the Psych office after Vick threw him out of the station, I asked him what happened. Do you know what he said?" He shook his head at the memory. "He didn't quote some 80s TV show and he didn't tell me about his newest food find. No, he just looked at the floor and said 'Lassie got shot.'" Henry sat back. "I know my boy, Juliet. Shawn being Shawn and showing up at a stakeout may be how it started, but something else shook him up. I love my boy and I want to help him, but I can't do that until I find out what happened."

He stopped and Juliet knew he was waiting for her response. The problem was, she didn't know what to say. Carlton had made her and Shawn promise not to say anything. She knew it was to protect her, but that didn't erase the fact she'd given Carlton her word. She'd broken faith with her partner too many times recently to do it again. At least not without talking to him first.

"Henry, I can't tell you what you want." She put up a hand to stop his protest. "I'm sorry, but I can't."

Henry wanted to argue, she could tell, but he stood and went to the door. "You need to figure out what you want, and if it's not Shawn, you need to let him know. Soon." He opened it and left.

Juliet closed the door and leaned against it. She needed to have a couple of conversations and the first one needed to be with her partner.

* * *

Lassiter had just plated a gorgeous ribeye steak with a baked potato and a glass of ale when his doorbell rang. He glanced longingly at the red-meat perfection before he reluctantly slid the plate into the oven to keep warm while he went to see who was interrupting his well-deserved dinner. He was tired and he was hurting, so whoever was at his door better have a damned good reason for being there.

"O'Hara?" He stood back as Juliet walked into his condo without an invitation. "What are you doing here?" He thought for sure she'd be spending quality time with Spencer. He tried very hard not to think about what that entailed.

"I need to talk to you, Carlton." Juliet turned to Lassiter before sinking down onto his couch.

"Okay, about what?" he said, the words coming out slowly.

"The night of the stakeout."

He shook his head. "No, no, _no_. We're not talking about that night. We agree _that_ night not to talk about that night anymore." He spared a brief thought for his soon-to-be lukewarm dinner before taking a seat beside his partner.

"I know we did, but I can't keep pretending it wasn't my fault you got shot."

Lassiter took a deep breath. "O'Hara, it wasn't your fault I got shot. Hell, it wasn't even the gel-head's fault. It was the scum sucker who shot me."

"If I hadn't been arguing with Shawn, you would've seen the perp before he got a shot off." Juliet had gone over that night in her head a thousand times. Shawn had shown up, trying to talk her into taking a break—" _Come on, Jules, Lassie can handle this boring gig for half-an-hour_ "—and she'd been trying to explain to him that she couldn't just _leave_ a stakeout because her boyfriend wanted her company. The next thing she knew, Carlton was yelling at them to get down and was charging a gun-wielding jerk to keep both of them from getting shot.

"You don't know that." His words interrupted her thoughts.

"Yes I do." Juliet drew in a breath and let it out slowly. "You knew I wasn't paying attention because I was arguing with Shawn and by the time you _got_ my attention, it was too late for you to do anything but what you did."

"Okay, so let's say you're right, which you're not. What good does it do to bring it back up now?"

"Vick needs to know. She needs to know it wasn't your fault."

Lassiter looked at her like she'd lost her mind. "If I tell Vick I falsified an official police report, I'll be in more trouble than I am now." He scrubbed his hand down his unshaven jaw and then winced as he jostled his injured shoulder. "Right now, she just thinks I wasn't paying attention. If she finds out the other, you won't be the only one she suspends."

"Not if I tell her you were doing it to protect me," Juliet said.

Lassiter shook his head before she'd finished. "It doesn't matter why I did it, O'Hara, the fact remains I did it. She'll have my head on a platter with parsley and garlic butter garnishment."

"You don't know that."

"Yeah, I do. Karen Vick may let Spencer get away with crap like this, but she won't let her head detective, nor should she."

"Then what do we do?" Juliet was near tears.

"We let it stand, O'Hara. We act like what I put in that report was the 100% gospel truth and we make sure it never happens again." He looked at her seriously. "Because it will never happen again, will it?" For all that he was trying to sound forceful, it came out more as a plea and that broke Juliet's heart.

She scooted closer to him and laid her hand on his arm. "I promise you, Carlton. This will never happen again."

Lassiter nodded once. "Okay." He cleared his throat roughly. "Okay, then." He gently moved his arm away. "So do you want to tell me what Vick said?"

Juliet knew the conversation was over and there wasn't anything she could do to change Carlton's mind. She'd promised him she'd let him handle it and she wouldn't go back on that without his permission, and he wasn't going to give it. "She told me Shawn was going to cost me my career." She could see he was doing his best to not agree with the chief's assessment and was grateful for the effort. "She told me I had to decide what I wanted; and if I wanted Shawn, I had to take steps to protect my job."

"What are you going to do? You know I'll back any play you make."

Juliet had to blink back the burn of tears as she realized, again, just how lucky she was. Even after everything that had happened over the last few days, Carlton still had her back. She was so fortunate to have a partner like him.

Lassiter was looking her wide eyes and she realized her tears weren't as hidden as she thought. "Are you going to cry? No! No, no, no! There is no _crying_ in police work!" He was slightly panicked.

"Calm down, Carlton, I'm not going to cry," Juliet said as she chuckled.

He looked closely and relaxed when he saw no tears in sight. "Good. That's good," he growled. "You know I'm no good with tears."

"I don't know," she said softly, "I remember a time when you were very good at handling tears."

He blushed at the reminder of comforting her when she almost died after Yin tied her to the clock tower. "Be that as it may, I forbid tears today."

She smiled. "Okay."

He smiled back. "Do you want something to eat? I've got an overcooked steak and mushy baked potato, but half of it's yours if you want."

She shook her head. "No thanks. I've got someone I need to talk to."

Lassiter took in her serious tone. "Anything I can help with?"

"No, but thank you." She touched his arm again. "Really, thank you, Carlton. I don't know how I would get through my drama-filled life if it weren't for you."

He shrugged. "You'd do okay."

"No I wouldn't, but I won't argue with you." She stood up. "I really need to go." He followed her to the front door. "I'm sorry I interrupted your dinner." She waved goodbye before closing the door behind her.

Lassiter laid one hand against the wood. "I'm not."

* * *

Juliet pulled up to the Psych office and turned off the car. She gripped the steering wheel as she gathered her courage. She'd known what she needed to do before she left Chief Vick's office, it just took her this long to admit it. She took a deep breath and stepped out of the car and walked up the sidewalk. The office door opened as she raised her hand to knock.

"Jules! What are you doing here?" Shawn took her hand and pulled her into the office. She was struck, not for the first time, how non-professional the office looked. Shawn and Gus, well, more Shawn than Gus, thought this was how adults conducted a serious business. She took in the toys on the desk and the food packages scattered around the office.

"I need to talk to you, Shawn."

"Sure, sweetums, but can it wait for just a minute? _Alf_ is almost over." Shawn tugged her over to the couch where the sitcom DVD had been paused.

"You've got it on pause, Shawn. Can you just leave it that way until we talk?"

"I lose the dramatic buildup the longer it's on pause, Jules, you know that," Shawn said in his sincerest tone.

"Dramatic buildup?" Juliet looked at him in disbelief. "It's a sitcom about a furry alien who eats cats. How much drama can there be in that?"

"Well, a lot, if you're a cat." He grinned. He reached for the remote, but she beat him to it.

"No. You'll just have to watch it again to reestablish the drama…later." She said as she turned off the DVD player and television. She shook her head. If she'd had any doubts about what she was doing, this conversation had put them to rest. She brushed crumbs from the couch cushion and sat down.

Shawn seemed to realize she was in a serious mood, so he sat down next to her. "What's the matter, Jules?"

"Did you know I got suspended today?" Juliet wondered what his reaction would be.

He shrugged. "Dad told me. It seems like a great time to take a vacation."

"Take a vacation? I was _suspended_ for two weeks. It will go in my file as an official reprimand." She actually didn't know if the chief would go that far, but Shawn didn't know that.

He seemed puzzled. "So? You're a good cop. It won't matter."

"Do you even understand what a reprimand like that means, Shawn? It can affect promotions, pay raises, everything. It can be a major hit to my career goals."

"What career goals? You're going to be a detective working cases with me until we're both old and gray." He grinned.

Shawn looked utterly thrilled at the prospect of her never moving any higher than she was right now, and that shook Juliet. "No, Shawn. I don't intend to be a detective for the rest of my career. I plan to be the chief of police somewhere. Sooner rather than later, if I can." She shook her head. "Did you really think I'd stay a detective so I could work cases with Psych?"

Now Shawn looked confused. "Well, yeah. Why wouldn't you? It's the best of both worlds. We're boyfriend and girlfriend when you're off and we're crime-fighting partners when we're working." He jumped up. "Unless you want to fight crime off-duty too." He grinned again. "We needs capes if we're going to do that. You can't be a crime-fighting vigilante without a cape."

"Shawn, stop!" Now it was Juliet's turn to grab his hand. She pulled him back down to sit beside her.

"What, you don't want a cape? Okay, you can ditch the cape and wear a mask." He waggled his eyebrows at her. "I bet you'd look hot in a mask."

She shook her head in exasperation. "No, I don't want a cape and I don't want a mask! Shawn, please, sit down."

He sat back down slowly.

She let go of his hand and scooted away from him. "I've been doing a lot of thinking since the chief sent me home this morning."

"About what?"

"My career, my life, and about us." Juliet noticed him stiffen slightly.

"What about us? We're great."

"No, Shawn, we're not." She didn't want to hurt him, but she had to get this out. "We haven't been great for a long time." She ignored the wounded look on his face and plowed on. "We, no, _I_ , have to admit we don't fit together."

Shawn interrupted. "Of course we fit! We fit like Tom and Jerry, peanut butter and jelly, huckleberry and hound!"

"Shawn, _stop_!" He sputtered to a stop and she continued. "No. We don't fit. We don't want the same things and we don't have the same ideas of what it means to be successful in life."

"What do you mean?" His voice was quiet, as though he'd finally figured out she wasn't joking.

She stood up and paced around the cluttered office. "Look at this office. You have toys scattered on your desk and junk food hidden in the drawers." She could see he still didn't understand. "Shawn, where do you see yourself in 5 years?"

"Can I talk now?" he asked in a slightly sarcastic tone. When she just raised an eyebrow at him, he hurried on. "I see me and Gus hanging out and you and me dating."

"That's it?"

"That's it."

"See, that's the difference between us," Juliet said. "I see much more in my life than dating or hanging out. I want to move up in my career. Like I said, I'd like to be a chief somewhere. But beyond my career, I'd like to have a family." She sat back down. "I love being a cop, but someday I'd like to have kids too." She saw the slight but full-bodied shudder that went through him at the mention of kids.. "We don't want the same things and I'm not sure we ever will. I think we need to end this before we both get hurt."

"No! I can change. I know I can. You just have to give me a chance." His eyes narrowed. "This is about what happened at the stakeout, isn't it? I'm sorry Lassie got shot, I really am. If I'd known the guy was actually there, I would've paid more attention." He shook his head. "It doesn't matter. I can change, Jules; you just have to give me a chance," he repeated.

She looked in his eyes and saw he was completely serious, or as serious as Shawn could ever be. "The stakeout just brought some things into focus. But, no, I don't have to give you a chance; and no, you shouldn't have to change to please me." She held up a hand to stop his words. "Shawn, you're a great guy. You shouldn't have to change for someone to love you. They should love you just the way you are." She leaned over and kissed his cheek. "I really do care about you and one day, you'll find someone who will love you, no matter what you're doing or what TV show you're watching." She stood up and walked to the door. She turned to face him one last time. "Goodbye, Shawn." She walked out into the bright California sunshine.

To Be Continued


	3. Chapter 3 - A Visit and Answers

Summary: Juliet decides what's important.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything. Psych belongs to Steve Franks, USA Network, and anyone else who owns it.

Chapter 3 – A Visit and Answers

It had been two days since Juliet's visit to Lassiter's apartment and he was no closer to figuring out what was going on in her head than when she'd left. He'd picked up his cellphone a dozen times to call or text her, but each time he talked himself out of it. He knew she'd been suspended and wondered if that was why she was keeping her distance after the last visit.

The sound of the doorbell pulled him out of his woolgathering.

"Chief?" He wondered how many more surprise visits his old heart could take.

"Hello Detective. May I come in?" He nodded and she brushed past him into the apartment.

"Do you want something to drink? I, uh, may have water or juice?" He thought hard about what might be left in his fridge and how long it had been there. "Or I could make coffee." He knew he had coffee. Any cop worth his salt had coffee.

She shook her head. "I'm fine. Thank you. We need to talk."

Lassiter cursed to himself. It was never a good thing when a woman said that phrase and after the week he'd had, he knew having a conversation— _any conversation_ —with his boss wasn't going to end any way but badly for him.

"Carlton?" Vick's voice prompted him to turn his attention back to her.

"Yeah, sure." He dropped down in the chair opposite the sofa. He might as well get this over with.

Vick bit back a smile. "You're not walking down death row, Lassiter. I just want to talk to you."

Lassiter just eyed her suspiciously.

Vick leaned back against the cushion and calmly returned his stare. "I want to know, off the record, what happened the night you were shot."

Did she honestly think he was going to admit to lying? Did she think her head detective was a nimrod? "With all due respect, I told you what happened when I filed my report."

It was Vick's turn to look incredulous. "Carlton, I know what you put in your report was absolute bullshit. If you thought I fell for it for one moment, you need to have mandatory psychiatric testing…again." She watched a shudder go through him at the thought and suppressed a chuckle. He was so easy sometimes. "I let what you wrote stand because I knew you had a good reason." _Like protecting your partner from her own bad life choices_. She paused to see if he would protest but he was smart enough to keep his mouth shut. "I need to know what happened that night will not happen again." She looked him squarely in the eye. "Because if I believe for one second it will, I won't hesitate to take steps to prevent it."

He shook his head. "No, what happened won't happen again."

"Good. But I still want to know what _did_ happen." She wasn't letting him or O'Hara out of this so easily.

"Chief," he all but whined.

"Lassiter, I'm willing to let this go because you two are my best team, but I'm not willing to let it go blindly."

He thought about it and realized while she trusted his judgment, she wasn't leaving without the story. "Okay. I'll tell you what I know."

"LassiterHer voice held a stern warning. "I want to know everything."

"That's just it. I can't tell you everything." Lassiter said. "To be honest, I was tuning out a lot of what was happening because if I don't tune Spencer out at least some of the time, I'll hurt him."

Vick nodded in acceptance. There were times _she_ wanted to hurt the guy and she didn't work with him nearly as often or as closely as Carlton.

"Okay." Lassiter leaned back. In a way, it was a relief to get this off his chest. Karen Vick was a friend and a helluva good chief and it didn't feel right to lie to her. "O'Hara and I were at the stakeout when we heard a noise from behind the car. Apparently, Spencer found out about the assignment and decided he just had to see his girlfriend." Even several days later, it galled him. Spencer had so little respect for what they did that he would prance into the middle of a stakeout. "Anyway, he knocked on the passenger side window to get O'Hara's attention. She rolled down the window to talk to him and to try and get him to leave. When he wouldn't, she got out and pulled him to the back of the car so, maybe, if the perp was in the building he wouldn't realize we were watching him." He looked at Vick. "I pretty much tuned them out then. I figured O'Hara would say something to placate the idiot and then we could get back to doing our job."

"But that's not what happened."

"No, that's not what happened. She'd been talking to him for a few minutes when I saw the front door of the building open and the punk we'd been watching came out. I don't know what tipped him off, but the next thing I knew, he was pulling a gun." He ran his hand over his face in frustration at the memory, feeling a slight pain in his shoulder for his efforts. "I was out of the car and yelling at O'Hara and Spencer to take cover while I tried to get to the guy before he could shoot someone."

"Someone besides you, you mean," Vick said.

He nodded. "Yeah, someone besides me." He raised his eyes to her, realizing he hadn't really looked at her through the entire story. "I was willing to take a bullet, but I wasn't willing to let O'Ha—I mean, the two of them, get shot."

Vick studied him for a long moment before accepting he was telling her the truth now. "I wouldn't expect anything less from you," she said.

"O'Hara administered first aid while Spencer whimpered like a little girl," he continued, the disgust evident in his voice. "The perp got away because O'Hara insisted on calling an ambulance first." He still couldn't believe she'd ignored a direct order to go after the guy.

"Why file a report filled with lies?" Vick had a good idea as to the reason, but she wanted to hear him say it.

"Spencer's already on thin ice with you and if it were just his butt in a sling, I wouldn't have cared, but it wasn't. O'Hara took her mind out of the game to deal with him and you would have come down hard on her for it."

"You're right. I would have." Vick leaned forward, making damn sure she made her point. "She could have gotten you killed, Carlton. I won't abide it and neither should you."

"I wasn't going to die," he insisted.

"The bullet barely missing arteries and internal organs says differently." She shook her head. "You were very, very lucky. The fact you were out of the hospital after just an overnight observation says the same." She thought about how a minor injury could have been so much worse if the shooter had better aim. "I know you want to protect your partner, but it has to stop."

He nodded, and just when she thought she'd gotten through to him, he said, "I hear what you're saying, Chief, but she's my _partner_."

She resisted the urge to bang her head against the coffee table. He was so damned stubborn sometimes. "Yes, she's your partner but she's also a _cop_. As such, she has to be able to separate her personal life from her professional life." She rose to her feet. "If she can't, I'll do it for her."

"You promised this was off the record," he protested.

"And it is," she assured him. "It doesn't mean I won't be keeping a close eye on this situation in the future. I won't allow her to get her partner, or another good cop, killed because she can't keep her focus where it needs to be." She paused. "Don't think you telling me what happened has caused this, Carlton; it hasn't. It just confirmed what I suspected. I've already told O'Hara she needed get her act together."

With that final observation she said goodbye and left before Lassiter could think of anything else to say.

To Be Continued


	4. Chapter 4 - Rules

Disclaimer: I don't own anything. Psych belongs to Steve Franks, USA Network, and anyone else who owns it.

One more chapter after this. Made some changes after Loafer looked at it, so any mistakes are mine.

Chapter 4 - Rules

Juliet paused in front of her boss's door. Today was her first day back from suspension. It was also her partner's first day back from medical leave, but she wasn't thinking about that right now. No, right now she was thinking about what she was going to tell Chief Vick.

"O'Hara, if you're coming in, get in here!" Juliet jumped at the sound of Vick's voice. She turned the knob and pushed open the door.

Vick looked up from the ever-present paperwork on her desk and took in the nervous posture of her junior detective.

"Can I talk to you for a minute, Chief?"

Vick put down her pen and gestured to the chair. "What can I do for you?"

Juliet sat down and looked at her hands. "I want to talk about what you said the last time I was here."

"Made some decisions, have you?"

Juliet nodded. "Yes ma'am and I thought you should know." She cleared her throat. "First, I want you to know I am no longer involved with Shawn."

A slowly-raised brow was Vick's only response.

"Also, I've made some decisions about how I want to handle it." Vick made a carry-on motion when Juliet paused a few seconds too long. "I shouldn't work with Shawn for the time being. He's not happy and I don't want a crime scene to become more of a circus than it already is when he's involved."

"It's interesting you consider his presence such a distraction now, O'Hara," Vick said. "It never seemed to bother you before. In fact, I've seen you defer to Spencer over your own partner, I've also heard you let him slap your ass at a crime scene."

Juliet flushed and tried to remember she deserved this smackdown. "I know. I know I put being a professional on the backburner to be his girlfriend sometimes and I know I deserve everything you're telling me." She sat up straighter. "But I can't change what I did or didn't do in the past; all I can do is try to do better and move forward." She saw Vick's nod. "I'm aware Shawn usually works with only Carlton and me, but I was wondering if he could work with other teams if and when he's needed." She didn't really think Shawn was going to want to work with her for the foreseeable future, but this would make things easier for both of them.

She watched her boss nervously, but finally, Vick seemed to come to a decision.

"I'll make sure Spencer works with other teams on a couple of conditions."

"What? Ma'am?" she added.

"I want to know what prompted your decision and I want to know what you plan to do now."

Juliet sighed inwardly. She really didn't want to get into everything and she had been hoping she wouldn't have to.

"If it makes it any easier," Vick continued, "I have a good idea that what happened on the stakeout wasn't what was put in the report."

"May I ask how, ma'am?"

"I paid an off-the-record visit to your partner." Vick's expression dared Juliet to have a problem with it. "I don't plan on pursuing the matter officially, but I also had no intention of letting it be repeated." For a moment, there seemed to be a hint of guilt in Vick's eyes. "I have given Mr. Spencer much more leeway than I should have." The guilt disappeared and her eyes hardened. "I'll be having a discussion with Mr. Spencer within the next few days to lay down a new set of non-breakable, barely-bendable rules for him."

Juliet wasn't sure if there were non-breakable rules in Shawn's world, but if anyone could make them and have him stick to them, it would be Karen Vick.

"What happened on stakeout was an eye-opener for me," Juliet said quietly, her eyes downcast. "I'm so used to Shawn barging in, I didn't blink an eye when he did it this time. Usually, he gets what he wants, or gets bored, and he leaves. But he didn't leave soon enough and Carlton was shot." She looked up. "My partner could have died because I couldn't—no, _wouldn't_ —make my boyfriend respect me enough to listen when I told him I had to work." She shook her head. "Carlton told me several times I let Shawn have too much freedom at work, but I didn't want to listen because then I would have to admit Shawn didn't respect me as a woman or as a cop. It was a hard pill to swallow." She shrugged slightly. "But once I admitted it to myself, I knew I had to change things. I talked to Shawn and I realized he wasn't going to change and I couldn't be with a man who didn't respect me. To be fair, he shouldn't have to change for me." She took a deep breath. "As to what I plan to do now, I plan to go back to my original career goals and become the best cop I can."

"Is that all?" Vick asked curiously.

Juliet smiled for the first time in days. "No, ma'am, I plan to be chief one day." Her voice was full of confidence.

Vick laughed. "Pump your brakes there, O'Hara. I think I've still got a few years to go in this job."

Juliet blushed, but laughed too. "I figure it's going to _take_ me a few years, Chief. You're safe for now."

Vick chuckled. "Well, _that_ makes me feel better." She smiled. "Well, you've met my two conditions, so I'll grant your request. I was going to separate you and Spencer anyway."

"Ma'am?"

"Very few couples can work and maintain a personal life together. It's hard and both parties have to be mature. As good as Mr. Spencer is in some aspects of his life, maturity is not a personal quality I think anyone would attribute to him," Vick said. "But the fact you've asked to no longer work with him makes my job much easier. If and when Mr. Spencer is needed, I will make sure he works with other teams. It means you and Lassiter may have to hand off cases every now and then. You need to make sure it's acceptable with your partner."

Juliet nodded. She doubted Carlton would have a problem with handing off a case if it meant he didn't have to deal with Shawn.

"Very well." Vick stood up. "You talk to your partner and I'll have a chat with Spencer."

Juliet followed her out of the office and heard her call for Henry Spencer before she headed to her desk.

*OoO*

Henry followed Karen into her office.

"Henry, I want you to call your son in for a meeting."

"May I ask what the meeting is about?"

Vick gave him a small grin. "Just laying down a few new ground rules."

Henry wasn't sure if this was a good idea or not, but his job wasn't to question why; he was just the consultants' liaison.

*OoO*

Vick noticed immediately Shawn Spencer wasn't his usual bouncing-off-the-walls-self. Perhaps the conversation Juliet told her about had more of an impact than expected.

"You wanted to see me, Chief?"

"Have a seat, Mr. Spencer. Henry, I want you here as well," she said when he turned to leave.

Henry gave her a questioning look, but took a seat beside his son.

"Where is Mr. Guster? I'm sure I requested both of you be here."

"He had to go to his other job," Shawn said. His tone indicated he wasn't quite sure why. "I'll tell him what he needs to know."

Henry rolled his eyes. "I'll make sure he knows what's going on, Karen."

Vick nodded before focusing on the man seated across from her. "Do you know why you're here?"

"Not really," Shawn answered. "Dad said it was important and told me I had to be here."

Vick resisted the urge to sigh. "You're here because I have a few changes for you if you plan to continue as a police consultant with this department."

"What do you mean 'if I plan to continue?' Of course I do," Shawn said. "I'm a great consultant. I'm a sultan among consultants." He would have continued, but Vick cut him off.

"I'm not firing you, at least not yet," she stated. "How you adapt to the changes will dictate employment status."

"What changes?" he asked suspiciously.

"I've allowed you to run roughshod at crime scenes, disrespect officers, and generally have your way in this department. I'm putting rules in place to ensure it will not happen again."

"Who have I disrespected?" Shawn asked indignantly. "Was it Lassie? I'm just kidding with him, you _know_ that!"

"Actually, Mr. Spencer, I _don't_ know," Vick answered, "but calling Detective Lassiter 'Lassie' is disrespectful. The fact you don't realize it speaks volumes. However, we're here to discuss the changes I have made. _You're_ here to listen and _I'm_ here to tell you the rules you will abide by if you want to keep your job with the SBPD."

Shawn started to protest again, but Henry put a hand on his arm and shook his head.

"The rules will be short and sweet, Mr. Spencer," Vick said. "You will find they are easy to remember. Rule 1, you will address any employee of the SBPD by his rank or title and last name unless given permission to do otherwise. Rule 2, you will not arrive at a crime scene unless invited by the designated member of the SBPD. By the way, the only two designated members are myself or your father." She could see he was itching to say something, but was wisely keeping quiet. She had no illusions it would last long. "Rule 3, if you are invited to a crime scene as a consultant, you will follow the same rules as any other member of the SBPD. This means you will not accost witnesses, you will not barge in and try to take over the investigation, and this definitely means you will not, under any circumstances, undermine the authority of the supervising officer. Do you understand so far?"

Shawn nodded sullenly. "Is that all?"

"Not by a long shot," she said. "In addition to those rules, you will only work with teams I assign. For now, this means you will no longer be working with Detectives Lassiter and O'Hara. I also reserve the right to add to this list as needed." She leaned back in her chair. "You are a very talented individual. You have been a great help to the SBPD, but several weeks ago, one of my officers almost died because you think the rules don't apply to you. I don't plan to let those events repeat themselves."

Shawn could no longer keep quiet. "I didn't shoot Lassie—I mean Lassiter."

"No, Mr. Spencer, you didn't. But you did arrive at a stakeout where you had no business being and when a member of the team tried to get you to leave, you argued with her."

"I was just going to see my girlfriend," he protested.

"At the time, she wasn't your girlfriend, she was a member of my department doing her job. A job you interrupted," Vick pointed out. "Be very glad the officers involved don't want this matter pursued any further. If they did, you would most likely be sitting in a cell right now."

 _That_ shut him up.

Vick noticed Henry had stayed silent. "Do you have anything to add, Henry?"

"No." He shook his head. "But what happens when Shawn doesn't follow the rules?"

The fact he said _when_ and not _if_ was not lost on her. "I'm glad you asked. The first time he will be removed from the case—period. The second time, he loses his consultant position with the department. A position which will not be reinstated, at least not while I'm chief."

"That's not _fair_!"

Henry looked at his son. "I don't think she cares what you think is fair, son."

Shawn gave his father a disgusted look. "I can tell."

"Mr. Spencer." Vick drew his attention back to her. "The rules I've laid down for you are simple and very clear. A three-year-old would be able to follow them. As a consultant you represent the SBPD, even if it is on a peripheral level. I've let you make a mockery of this department for too long, but no more." She gave him a hard look. "I've said you are a very talented individual, but I've also had my doubts for a very long time about whether or not you are a psychic." She noticed both Spencer men fidgeted; interesting. "You should think about what the works means to you and how you would feel if you lost it. Perhaps then following the rules wouldn't be such a burden." She put her hands on her desk and stood. "In any case, the changes I've laid out will be followed or you will lose the most lucrative contract your business has." She looked down at him. "Do we understand one another?"

Shawn nodded. "Yes." Henry nudged him. "Chief."

"Thank you for coming." She sat back down and focused on the paperwork in front of her. Henry took it for the dismissal it was and herded his son out of her office. Once the door closed, she leaned her head back against her chair. She wondered if he could grow up enough to follow her rules or if she would lose a valuable resource for her department.

Only time would tell.

To Be Continued


	5. Chapter 5 - What the Future Holds

Disclaimer: I don't own anything. Psych belongs to Steve Franks, USA Network, and anyone else who owns it.

Author's Note: Okay, we're wrapping up the last chapter to this fic. I want to thank everyone who reviewed. This is my first story in the Psych fandom and I've really enjoyed writing it.

Big thanks to my beta Loafer without whom I wouldn't have had the encouragement to start this, let alone finish it.

*OoO*

Chapter 5

*OoO*

Juliet O'Hara was looking around at the combination _congratulations/we're going to miss you_ party that was in full swing. She'd really like something a little stronger than club soda, but in today's world of YouTube, Facebook, and cellphones, it wasn't a smart idea to be seen with a drink in hand at a party like this. Doing something stupid would cause someone to end up as an instant celebrity on the Internet—and not in a good way.

"So, O'Hara, how are you enjoying the party?" Juliet turned to see Karen Vick approaching.

"It's okay, Chief, but I'm not sure why all these people are here."

Vick smiled. "They're here to suck up to me in case I can do something for them before I leave, not that it will do them any good, and suck up to you for future favors, not that it will do them any good."

Juliet frowned. "I knew I had to play politics, but I was hoping it wouldn't start this soon."

Vick laughed. "Trust me when I tell you the politics never end in this job. Are you sure you still want it?"

The younger woman grinned. "Hell yeah!"

Juliet couldn't believe it had been 10 years since she'd made the decision to break up with Shawn Spencer and rededicate herself to her career. It had been a long road, especially when, five years ago, Carlton had retired to join a buddy of his in a high-end security firm as a partner.

He said he'd risen about as far as he could without making chief and after seeing the crap Vick put up with, he'd decided he didn't want it anymore.

Vick broke into her thoughts. "Have you heard from Carlton?"

She shook her head. "No, the last I heard he was in D.C. helping secure a national security project contract." Carlton hadn't stayed in touch with many people after he left Santa Barbara. When she'd asked why on one of the rare occasions they spoke, he'd gotten quiet and said he needed to move on for his peace of mind. She still didn't know what he'd meant. "I thought for sure he'd be here for your retirement party," she continued.

Vick made a face. "Please stop calling it that. It makes me sound like I'm ready to be put out to pasture."

Juliet laughed. "Sorry. What are you going to be doing now?"

"Well, Iris is headed to college to pursue her criminal justice degree and since she isn't going to be attending close to home, my husband and I decided to travel for a bit. Before the empty nest syndrome sets in." Vick shrugged. "Besides, it was time. You were ready and I couldn't see handing over my department to anyone else."

Juliet blushed. It meant a lot that her mentor thought so highly of her. "So where are you planning to travel?"

"We thought we'd start in Europe. Richard loves ancient history, so there will be a lot to see." She sounded bored, but Juliet suspected she was just as excited for the trip as her husband.

Juliet was about to comment when Karen's sharp, indrawn breath stopped her. She followed the soon-to-be-retired chief's eyes and gave a gasp of her own. Shawn Spencer stepped into the room and when he saw her, he made a beeline in their direction.

"Jules! How are you?" He gave her a hug. "Congratulations on the promotion." He drew away and pulled the woman with him closer to his side. "I want you to meet Beth. Beth, this is Juliet O'Hara, the new chief of police in Santa Barbara and a good friend."

As Juliet accepted the introduction and congratulations she thought back to the last time she'd seen Shawn. It had been about a year after they broke up. He'd stayed on as a consultant, but eventually, he just couldn't reign himself in and Vick had been true to her word. She'd fired him and hadn't allowed him back. Gus had seemed relieved since he could concentrate on his actual pharmaceutical job without Shawn dragging him into cases. Once Shawn realized he couldn't keep the Psych office open without the department contract, he'd closed up shop and headed out. Juliet hadn't heard from him since.

"Beth, would you excuse us a moment?" Shawn's voice brought her back to the present. The woman beside him nodded and allowed Vick to lead her over to the refreshments table.

"It's really good to see you again, Jules," Shawn said softly.

"It's good to see you again too." She paused. "Not to be rude, but what are you doing here? I mean, I haven't seen you in nine years."

Shawn looked slightly uncomfortable. "I know. I know I should have called."

"It's not that, Shawn. You didn't owe me anything. I'm just not sure why you're here now." She didn't mean to be unkind and she didn't want him to think he was unwelcome. "I don't _mind_ you're here, I just don't know _why_."

He gave her a bashful grin that, once upon a time, had left her with butterflies in her stomach. "Can't a guy just congratulate a good friend?"

She just looked at him.

He held up a hand. "Okay, okay. I'm back in town because I'm getting married and Beth wanted to meet my dad." He gave her a slightly guilty look. "But I really did want to congratulate you too."

"You're getting married? That's great, Shawn!" She smiled.

"You really mean it?" He suddenly looked uncertain. "I wasn't sure how you would feel."

"Why wouldn't I be happy for you?"

"Well, we didn't really part on the best of terms…"

"Just because you and I weren't right for each other doesn't mean I don't want to see you happy. I told you then the right person would love you for all you are and wouldn't expect you to change."

His grin could have lit up half of California. "Beth is great! She gets me, you know? She gets me and she makes me want to be a better man—for her. Dad even likes her," he laughed.

Juliet laughed too. "Well, get her back over here and let me talk to her some more. We can compare Shawn stories."

He groaned but grinned and snapped off a sloppy salute. "Yes, ma'am."

As she watched him head to the refreshments table to retrieve his fiancée, her eyes were drawn again to the door. This time, her gasp was a mixture of surprise and longing.

Standing in the doorway was her former partner. He looked so much different from how she remembered. He'd let his hair grow so the waves he'd kept under control when he was a cop were more visible and the salt and pepper in his hair had a little more salt. He'd also grown a beard that set off his blue eyes to perfection. Until that moment, she hadn't realized she was a sucker for beards. Who knew?

She was aware of the exact moment he spotted her. Being the recipient of Carlton Lassiter's laser focus was like nothing she'd ever experienced and this time was no different. She was vaguely aware of Vick stopping Shawn from coming back to her, and slowly, but surely, all of her attention tunneled down to the man walking toward her.

"So you did it," he said as he came to a stop in front of her.

"I'm sorry, what?" She felt like she was a step behind in the conversation.

He smiled. "You're chief of police. Just like you said you would be."

She smiled back, more because it was him saying it than because of the achievement. "Yeah, yeah I did."

"Now I can do what I've wanted to do for years."

She held her breath. "Which is?" she asked softly.

"Ask you out." He grinned at her no-doubt gobsmacked expression.

Again, she felt like she was behind in the conversation. "I'm sorry, what?" she repeated.

"I think Lassie is asking you out on a date," Shawn said from her side, laughing as he dodged a playful slap from Beth. "What? It's true!" He grinned. "If we wait for Jules to catch up, he may be too old to have any fun." Again he dodged a slap and grinned at the glare Carlton sent his way.

Carlton turned back to Juliet. "While nimrod here is irritating, in this case he's right. Would you have dinner with me?"

"Now?" she asked, a bit breathless.

He nodded. "Now."

Juliet was torn. She was supposed to stay here and schmooze as the new chief, but there was nothing she wanted to do more than leave with Carlton right now.

Vick stepped in to save her, just like she'd done all those years before. "Go, I'll cover for you. It'll be easier for everyone if they only have to suck up to one person at a time."

Juliet gave her a grateful look and took Carlton's arm. Then she remembered something. She looked at Shawn—such a happy, happy Shawn—and his fiancée, and pointed at Beth. "I still want to get to know you. I've got a _lot_ of dirt on Shawn you need to know." She grinned at Beth as they high-fived and Shawn whined about women ganging up in him.

She looked up at the man she'd missed for so very long. "I'm saying yes to dinner, but I'm _expecting_ a lot more," she said with a smirk.

Carlton laughed. "Yes ma'am."

Finis.


End file.
